1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to furniture such as tables and, in particular, to tables having a central plane supporting structure.
2. Description of Related Art
As modern furniture, whether for home or office, becomes more practical, the demands for functionality have been increasing. For example, folding furniture has become more in demand. The kind of folding furniture that has received the most attention are tables and chairs.
A conventional folding table that can be used, for example, for outdoor activities is shown in FIG. 1. Its main components include a table top 1′ and table frame 2′. As shown in the accompanying figure, the table frame 2′ includes two side rails 21′, three cross bars 22′, two sets of foldable legs 23′, and two support braces 24′. The side rails 21′ are fastened to the underside of the table top 1′. The three cross bars 22′ are separately and pivotally attached to both ends and the middle portion of the side rails 21′. The two sets of table legs 23′ are separately fastened to the ends of the end rails 22′. One end of the support braces 24′ is fastened to the table legs 23′ and the other end of the support braces is pivotally attached to the cross bar 22′ which is attached to the center portion of the side rails 21′.
When folding the table legs 23′ of the conventional table shown in FIG. 1 into the collapsed position, one turns the table top 1′ so that the underside of the table top is facing upwards. The table legs 23′ are then folded downwardly towards the table top. Because the cross bars 22′ that are fastened to the table legs 23′ are pivotally attached to the side rails 21′, and the support braces 24′ are pivotally attached to the table legs 23′, the table legs 23′ come to rest on the underside of the table top 1′, thus reducing its volume.
The center portion of the table top 1′ of this type of conventional folding table, however, is only supported by one cross bar 22′ that pivotally attached to the two support braces 24′. This may allow the center portion of the table to undesirably deflect, shift or move. In addition, if the cross bar 22′ in the center portion of the table top is damaged, the entire table frame 2′ must be removed in order to allow repair or replacement of the damaged cross bar. Removing the entire table frame 2′ from the table top 1′ often requires a significant amount of time and effort.